Automatic machine-control mechanism



March 25,1930. F. SCHA'UM 1,751,532

'AUTOMATIC MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM Y Filed med. 11,"'192s 5 Sheets-Shet 1 I In ueni'or:

fijr'zgi'cheri 11y LM ZQ.

March 25, 1930.

F. SCHAUM AUTOMATIC MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 11, 1928 3-Sheets-Sheet 2 flel'cher Schaum March 25, 1930. F. SCHAUM AUTOMATICMACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 r W n o A &\ =4 8 m a N g mm3 v S mw LHH HI H. Hm Q d v MN. e n y q Q N VN. .m-N 0/ WN Patented Mar.25, 1930 UNH'E STATS FAENT ()FFI'QE FLETCHER SCI-IA'U'IVI, OF.PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO FLETCHER WORKS, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA AUTOIEATIG MACHINE-CONTROLMECHANISM Application filed December 11, 1928. Serial No. 325,358.

This invention relates to an automatic machine control mechanism of thedobb-y card type and it consists in the novelfeatures and arrangementshereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the characterstated which is strong and rugged, of compact assemblage,,

occupying but small space and adapted to be used in conjunction withlooms, batch mixing apparatus or other similar machines and providesmeans for automatically throwing into action or operating the severalinstrumentalities of the machine or apparatus, so

that the said instrumentalities may function in proper order and inprescribed timed rela tion and in accord with predetermined rhythm ofprocedure. e

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic controlmechanism,

simulating the mechanism usually employed in a dobby card loom foractuating hooks,

needles and knives, the distinction being that the arrangement is suchthat the knives and needles are dispensed with and'the instrumentalitiesof the machine or apparatus which is controlled are actuated by lugscarried by the cards, the said cards being mounted for movement arounda' shaft and for reciprocation in order to present them successively andin proper sequence to active position. 1 1

With these and other objects in'view the machine control mechanismincludes in combination with other elements and features a series ofdobby cards similar to those used in a loom. The cardsare linkedtogether in the form of an endless belt or chain and the chain ismounted for movement in an orbital path, 40 means are provided forshiftingthe chain bodily at regular intervals oftime, so that the cardof the chain which is. at the active point in the orbit will present itslugs to the lug of'a certain bar of a set, whereby the card and the barare moved concurrently and 0p crate the instrumentalityof the machinewith which the bar is connected. At thesame time there will be nomovement of the bars which are not to be operated because the lugs co- Iit is desired not to operate those particular bars.

V] hen the cards are assembled in the form of a chain and connectedtogether they may be arranged to vary the sequence of operation of thebars, to vary the order of operation thereof and to vary the intervalsof duration or extentof the'periods of inactivity theretf, or,'or tooperate more than one bar at one ime;

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the-automaticmachine control mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View thereof cut on the line 22 ofFig. 1 and showing the bar lugs in a normal position,

F is a longitudinal sectional view out on the line 83 of Fig. 1 andshowing thelug of the dobby card in the act of striking the lug of oneof the bars and actuating the same,

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of Fig.

1, the parts being shifted however to illus- V trate the beginningmovement of the cylinder, p

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the cylinder approaching its outermostposition, and v v Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the cylinder in itsoutermost'position.

v The automatic machine control mechanism is mounted upon a supportingbase 1. This base may be the frame of a loom, a batch miX ing apparatus,or any other machine or apparatus with which the control mechanism isused.

Standards 2 are mounted upon the base 1 and a shaft 3 is journaled forrotation in the upper ends of the standards and bridges the spacebetween the standards.

A pulley wheel 4 is fixed to one end of the shaft 3 and a belt 5 istrained around the pulley wheel and is adapted to rotate thesaid wheeland the shaft. Any other suitable means may be provided for rotating theshaft 3.

Eccentrics 6 are mounted upon the shaft 3 at points between thestandards 2 and are spaced from each other. The bases of the standards 2are provided with slots 7 and bolts 8 pass through the said slots andare screwed into the supporting base 1.

loosening the bolts 8, the standards may be shifted along the supportingbase 1 and when the standards are adjusted they are fixed or secured bytightening the bolts 8.

Frame sides 9 are mounted upon the sup porting base 1 and are disposedparallel with relation to each other. Guide members 10 and 11 aremounted upon the base 1 and are disposed transversely of the frame sides9 and in the vicinity of the ends thereof.

The frame sides 9 are provided at their upper portions with recesses 12,upon the lower edges of which are mounted guide strips 13.

A shaft 14 is provided with cylindrical end portions 15 which ride uponthe guice strips 13. The end extremities of the shaft 14 are journa-ledin pitmen bars 16 and the said bars are provided with eccentric straps17 which surround the eccentrics 6.

As the shaft 3 rotates the eccentrics 6 are carried around the axisthereof and through the straps 17 the pitmen bars 16 are reciprocatedand the shaft 14 and the cylindrical portions 15 thereof are caused toslide along the guide strips 13. The cylindrical portions 15 areprovided at their outer ends with angular flanges 18 which move alongthe side edges of the guide strips 13 and holdthe shaft 14 parallel withthe shaft 3. The flanges 18 are provided with radially projectingrounded corners 19.

Dogs 20 are pivotally mounted at the sides of the frame member 9 and areprovided at their upper edges with hooks 21 which are normally held inthe path of movement of the corners 19 by fiat springs 22 also mountedupon the frame sides 9 and which hear at their free ends against thelower edges of the dogs 20.

When theshaft 14 is moved away from the corners 21 and thecylindricalportions 15 slide upon the guide plates 13 as hereinbefore stated, andwhen the shaft 14 is moved toward the hooks 21 and one of the corners 19comes in contact with the hooks, the peripherial portions of thecylinders 15 are arrested while atthe same time the axis of the shaft 14is moved over and beyond the hooks 21, thus the shaft 14 in itsreciprocatory movement is given aturn or partial rotation at the end ofthe stroke. Rods 23 are pivotally connected at one end with the framesides 9 and are provided on their under sides with friction plates 24which rest upon the edges of the uppermost rounded corners 19 of theflanges 18 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

Traction springs 25 are connected at one end with the free end of therods 23 and connected at their other ends bymeans of links 26 with thesupporting base 1.' Thus the plates 24 are held resiliently incontactwith the uppermost corners 19 ofthe flanges and the shaft 14 isrestrained against turning or rotary movement until such time as one ofthe corners 19 comes in contact with the hooks 21 when the said shaft ispartially turned as hereinbefore described.

The intermediate portion 28 of the cylinder shaft 14 is provided withangularly disposed faces 27, best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of thedrawings. The shaft is further provided in the vicinity of the ends ofthe faces thereof with outstanding studs 29. A yoke 30 is pivotallymounted upon the base 1 and a roller 31 is journaled between the upperends of the arms of the said yoke.

A spring 32 is connected at one end with the intermediate portion of theyoke and at its other end with thesupporting base 1. The spring 32 isunder tension and with a tendency to hold the roller 31 spaced away fromthe shaft 14.

A series of dobby cards 33 are connected together by means of links 34whereby the said series of cards form an endless chain or belt which istrained around the roller 31 and the intermediate portion 28 of theshaft 14. Certain of the cards 33 are provided at their outer faces withtransversely disposed out-standing shoulder lugs 35 and with studreceiving openings 36. The said openings 36 are adapted to receivecertain of the studs 29 as the card is moved'around the axis of theshaft 14. Some of the cards are devoid of lugs so that the cycle ofoperation will not be interrupted until desired.

All of the cards are of the samelength, breadth and thickness and thelength and breadth of each card is substantially the same as the lengthand breadth of each of the faces 27 of the shaft 14. Because the roller31 is held away from the shaft 14 by the spring 32 and inasmuch as thechain of cards is trained around the roller 31 and the shaft 14, theupper and lower runs of the chain of cards are maintained in proper tautcondition.

Bars 37 are mounted for sliding movement in the guide members 10 and 11and are provided with stop pins 38. Coil springs 39- are connected atone end with the bars and at their other ends with a rail 39 supportedupon the base 1. The springs 39 are under tension with a tendency tohold the stop pins 38 against the side of the guide member 11 and thebars at normal position.

Levers 40 are pivotally mounted upon the supporting base 1, one of thembeing located in alignment with each of the bars 37. Links 41 connectthe aligned rods and levers to gether. The levers 40 are provided attheir outer edges with rows of notches 42 and said notches are adaptedto receive pull elements 43, which are connected with the throwinginmechanisms of themachine (not shown) and to which a control mechanism isapplied. Each of the bars 37 is provided at a point between its endswith an up-standing lug 44. Thefllugs 44 are located between the guidemembers 10 and 11 and the upper edges of the lugs 44 overlap the planein which the lower edges of the lugs 35 lie, when the actuating card isdisposed directly at the underside of the shaft 14. Thus the said lugsoverlap each other in a plane lying between the plane of movement of thebars and the plane of reciprocatory movement of the lugs of the cardlocated directly under the shaft 14. As the shaft 14 is reciprocated,the chain of cards is correspondingly moved and when the shaft arrivesat the outer end of its stroke, it is turned as hereinbefore described,so that a new card is brought to position immediately below the axis ofthe shaft 14. As the shaft 14 moves toward the bar lugs 44, the shoulderlug 35 of that card which is immediately below the axis of the shaft 14,strikes one of the lugs 44 and carries the bar to which the said lug 44is attached, along with the shaft 14. The bar or bars which are moved,swing those levers 40 which are connected thereto by means of theirrespective links 41. As the said levers are swung they move the pullelements 43 connected thereto and thus the instrumentalities of themachine to which the control is applied will be thrown into action oroperation. 7

It is obvious by varying the arrangement of the cards in the chain andby varying the location of the shoulders upon the cards, that theinstrumentalities of the machine to which the device is applied may bethrown into action at the desired intervals and that the eX- tent of theoperation or action of such instrumentalities may be controlled so thatdesired cycles of action may be had to bring about the required resultsin'the machine that is being controlled.

The cards may be arranged to vary the sequence of operation of the bars,to vary the order of operation thereof and to vary the intervals ofduration of activity or the periods of inactivity thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that Iv have produced an automaticcontrol mechanism wherein a number of parts that are necessary in theoriginal form of dobby mechanism are dispensed with.

It will also be seen that the movement of the shaft that carries thecards directly actuates the bars that are selectively operated bycertain cards. Thus I dispense with needles and actuating hooks whichare usually employed in looms.

It will also be seen that the force is transmitted from the cards movingin one plane to the bars moving in a parallel plane through theinstrumentality of lugs-carried by the cards and bars and which haveedge portions over-lapping each other in a plane lying between the planeof movement of the cards and the bars.

When it is desired not to operate any of the bars 37 the card or cardsdevoid of the lugs are used and they move over the tops of the lugsuponthe bars and consequently the bars are not operatedand there will beno change in the cycle of operation of the machine; e

The control has proven extremely efiicient in service and as will beunderstood is very easy to-assembl-e, relatively cheap to manufactureand is of compact nature. 7

It will be understood that changes or variations may be made in thearrangement, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention asexpressed in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is V 1. An'automatic control comprising aseries of slidable elements respectively connected with theinstrumentalities to be controlled and a series of predeterminedlyarranged elements mounted for movement in an orbital path having asection disposed parallel with the plane of movement of the slidableelements, said slidable and movable elements having shoulder lugs, theedges of which overlap each other at said section of parallelism andadapted to have contact to slide certain of the slidable elementsconcurrently with the movable elements to actuate the control and meansfor reciprocating the series of elements.

2. An automatic control comprising a pair of series of slidable andmovable elements mounted for reciprocatory movement in parallelism alonga section of the path of travel, the members of both series havingshoulder lugs, the edge portions of which overlap each other at saidsection of parallelism and in a plane lying between said series andmeans for moving one of the series of elements to bring the lugs thereofin contact with the lugs of certain of the elements of the other seriesof elements to move the same concurrently to actuate the control.

3. An automatic control comprising a series of bars connected with theinstrumentalities to be controlled, said bars being mounted for slidingmovement in a plane, said bars having portions disposed out of saidplane, a series of cards mounted for reciprocatory movementand having acard at active position and moving while at said position in a planeparallel with the plane of movement of the bars and spaced therefrom,the card at active position having a portion disposed out and havingacardat active position and moving While at said position in a planeparallel With the plane of movement of the bars and spaced therefrom,the card at active position having a portion adapted to engage directlythe lug of a certain bar at a point lying in a plane located between theplanes of movement of the bars and the active card, to move said bar andactuate the control.

5. An automatic controlcomprising a series of bars connected with theinstrumentalities to be controlled, said bars being mounted for slidingmovement in a plane, the bars having lugs located between their ends,a'series of cards'mounted for reciprocatory movement and having one ofthe cards at active-position and moving While at said position in aplane parallel With the plane of movement of the bars'and spacedtherefrom, the card at active position having a lug adapted to engagethe lug'of a certain bar at a point lying ina plane located between theplanes of movement of the bars and the activecard to move said barconcurrently and actuate the control.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FLETCHER SCHAUM.

